The idea that powerful or intimidating women spells trouble for a relationship is something close to a cliche. It's not just Billy Bob and Angelina; Rihanna has complained about it. Online dating sites highlight the challenges. But the idea that -- in 2012 -- men can't handle powerful women (or women with more fame, beauty, money or power) is -- or should be -- becoming myth.

Let's start with the ill-fated Thornton-Jolie marriage. There's no need to dig deep into the relationship dynamics: there is a nifty, not entirely tongue-in-cheek formula by mathematician Garth Sundem and New York Times columnist John Tierney that predicts the success of celebrity relationships with stunning accuracy based on some public facts. The chance of marriage success is related to the amount of time a couple has dated (strike one against Billy Bob) and is influenced by the age of the bride and groom (strike two: Angelina was 24 when they married). Another factor is how much skin the bride typically shows in photos (strike three).

That's not to say that there wasn't real insecurity at the heart of the Billy Bob or Angelia breakup. It's just that the odds were stacked against them for reasons that had nothing to do with Angelina being a strong, confident women. I don't hang out with Billy Bob, so I can't vouch for his perspective on the marriage, but it feel like the "intimidating women" trope might at least partially distract from some deeper truths.

If this were just about Thornton and Jolie, it would be a curiosity. But the question of how strong women fare in the workplace and how those around them (particularly men) react is alive in workplaces across the country. There remain a number of double-standards for women: act too demure and risk being passed over; act too aggressively and get told you need "a course in charm school". Throw in the idea that guys like Billy Bob can't handle strong women and you've created an insurmountable obstacle course.

As anyone who has spent any time in an office -- or even time spent watching The Office -- knows, corporate success requires dealing with plenty of intimidating people. (Heck: that's pretty much the definition of corporate success.) Blaming a failure of a relationship, be it professional or personal, because on party "isn't good enough" is more than just a cop-out, especially when it involves a man and a woman. It's a way of mudding the water around gender in a way that doesn't do anyone any good. Even Billy Bob.